Post dislodging and pulling implement



c. s. BENCHLEY 3,103,343

Sept. 10, 1963 POST DISLODGING AND PULLING IMPLEMENT Filed May 22, 1961 Fig. 2 3

Carl 8- Bench/e y INVENTOR.

BY m

UnitedStates Patent Ofiice 3 ,l03343 Patented Sept. 10, 1963 Filed May 22, 1961, Ser- No. 111,557 2 Ciaims. (Cl. 254-132).

The present invention relates to an improved fence post dislodging and pulling implement. I

' An object of the invention is to structurally, functionally and in other ways improve upon prior art fence post pullers and, in doing so, to provide a novel construction which is simple, practical, easy and reliable to use and suitable in effectively serving the purposes for which it is intended.

Briefly summarized the invention comprises a stand or jack embodying a base with a standard or upright attached to and rising perpendicularly from the base. A manually operable lever is pivoted intermediate its ends atop the standard and functions to dislodge and pull the post from its foundation when operated properly.

One improvement resides in providing a wedge having an elongated surface adapted to reside in friction retained engagement with a predetermined surface of the post, wedge positioning and hitching means adapted to embrace the post and functioning to retain the wedge in frictionbound contact with said post surface and also a surface of the hitching means, a lever having an end pivotally linked to an adjacent end of said wedge, and a support on which said lever is pivotally mounted.

Another improvement, somewhat more specifically revealed, has to do with a stand embodying a supported vertical standard, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends atop said standard, a vertically elongated wedge having a straight edge along one lengthwise side and an inclined edge along an opposite lengthwise side, links pivoted to an end of the lever adjacent the wedge and also pivotally connected to the upper end of said wedge, and wedge cating and retaining means adapted to embrace the post and removably and adjustably hitch the wedge to the post.

More particularly the wedge locating and hitching and retaining means is unique in that it embodies a collarlike plate having spaced opposed jaws frictionally engagement with both the post and the inclined edge of the wedge. In addition the opposed generally parallel edges of the jaws are shaped to permit the same to cooperate with the specially designed wedge and with fence posts of any cross-sectional shape having a flat surface on any part thereof to accommodatingly cooperate with the elongated flat friction-engaging surface of the novel wedge.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation showing a fragmentary portion of a fence post and showing the improved post loosening puller or implement and how it is constructed and used;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged view taken on the plane of the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2 FIGURE 4 is a view in perspective detailing the salient features; namely, the special wedge and the hitching and retaining collar therefor, the post appearing in phantom lines; and

FIGURES 5 and 6 are fragmentary perspective views of posts of varying cross-sections merely to show that the implement may be satisfactorily used for lifting and pulling various types of fence posts.

With reference to FIGURE 1 the simple mechanical jack or stand, which is portable, is denoted generally by the numeral 8 and it comprises a suitable surface engaging base 10 and a standard or upright 12 which is attached at its lower end to the base and rises perpendicularly therefrom. The standard is provided at its upper end with a pair of upstanding spaced parallel ears or lugs 14 and the median portion 16 of the lever 18 is pivoted thereto. The portion of the lever to the right in FIGURE 1 constitutes a handle 2t) and the short portion 22 to the left is provided with a pair of spaced parallel links 24 pivoted at 26 to the free end of the lever. The lower ends of these links are pivotally connected as at 28 to a laterally projecting lug 30 integral with the upper end of the wedge 32. The wedge comprises an elongated flat-faced plate 34 which has a linearly straight lengthwise edge 36 and an opposite inclined edge 38. The wedge locating and retaining means comprises broadly a novel hitch 40. More specifically, this bitch comprises a flat-faced plate or collar 42 one marginal edge of which is connected by a chain 44 to the upper end of the upright 12 (FIG. 1). It will be noticed that the righthand half portion (-FIG. 2) of the collar or plate has a specially formed notch therein which defines a pair of furcations or jaws 46 and 48. The post engaging face of the jaw 46 is straight as at 50*. The parallel coplanar edge 52 of the jaw 48 is straight except for the centrally positioned clearance notch 54 which is provided therein. The third edge (FIG. 4) is denoted at 56 and is angled or inclined and is arranged so that there is a keeper seat or notch 58 at the juncture of the edges 52 and 56. In practice the jaws straddle the post and serve to seat the same as is effectively brought out in FIG. 2. The post here shown is denoted by the numeral 60 and is channel-shaped in cross-section. The channel portion 62 extends transversely across the space between the two jaws 46 and '48 and the web 64 rests firmly against the jaw edge 50. The walls of the channel terminate in coplanar outstanding flanges 66 one of which is engaged in the notch or keeper seat 58 and the other of which rests against the adjacent portion of the jaw edge 52. When using the device in conjunction with this type of a fence post it will be evident that the edge 36 engages the flat surface of the web 64 and that the inclined edge 38 is confined in the clearance 'notch 54. This collar or hitch 40 is not to be confused with a cant hook, or a tilttype so called friction clutch as is sometimes used in the art. Instead the hitch is in the nature of a collar and it embraces both the post and the wedge to maintain .the wedge in the desired friction-engaging and post pulling position.

The invention is not restricted for use in conjunction with the channel-shaped post 60* but may be used with other types of posts having flat surfaces as denoted at 68 and 70 in FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively.

It will be noted that the design or delineation of the jaw faces 50', 5 2 and 56 renders the collar peculiarly adaptable to satisfactorily accommodating the channel type post 60. Aiso the notch 54 positions the wedge correctly in relation to the post so that the edge 36 is in firm and reliably bound contact with the post surface. The hitching collar or plate 40 when in the position shown in FIG- URE 1 is a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the post 60 and wedge 32. By effectively but releasably hitching the wedge to the post and, in fact, e bracing both the post and the wedge a highly satisfactory post gripping device is had. The collar is preferably chained to the jack or stand as at 44 and suificient slack is provided in the chain to enable one to readily position the jaws in place by straddling the post and wedge. Also, the hitching collar can be forced down to a iirm gripping position by lightly tapping the same with a hammer or the like and, by the same token, it can be driven free by 3 light upward blows against the bottom side thereof, as is believed to be clear.

In connection with the foregoing it is to be noted that the lugs 14 atop the standard 12 provide a highly satisfactory pivotal mounting for the intermediate portion 16 of the lever 18 The left hand end portion 22 is connected by the aforementioned links to the anchoring log 30 and consequently the user of the device will find that the stand 8 and its component parts including the linked friction binding wedge 32 may be readily lined up with the fence post when the user desires to bring the over-all device in play, that is to assume the position illustrated in FIG. 1. It is further to be noted that under normal circumstances the hitching plate 40 would be hanging down freely by way of the safety chain 44. Consequently the plate would be in a ready-to-use position and the user, following the preferred mode of use, would catch hold of the plate and lift it up to the desired elevation, position it at right angles to the fence post and then line up the jaws 46 and 48 so that the edge portions would clear the outside surface of the web 64 and the outside or exterior surfaces of the coplanar rflanges 66 in a manner to facilitate straddling the fence post and wedge. Then as suggested above the plate would be allowed to drop down, or be hammered down, if necessary, with the uninterrupted edge portion 38 of the wedge seated in the clearance and seating notch 54.

A careful consideration of the specification in conjunction with the views of the drawing will enable the reader to obtain a clear and comprehensive understanding of the details of construction and their novel association and arrangement. Likewise the manner of utilizing the invention is clearly brought out. Therefore, a more extended description is believed to be unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in dislodging, loosening and pulling a fence post which is channel-shaped in cross-section and embodies a web provided with opposed outstanding walls, a portable post pulling device comprising, in combination, a vertically elongated wedge rectangular in cross-section and having a lineanly straight lengthwise edge adapted to reside in frictional engaging contact with an interior surface of the web of the channel of said post, also having an uninterrupted inclined lengthwise edge and also provided at an upper end above said inclined edge with a laterally directed outstanding link anchoring lug, a portable stand embodying a vertical standard, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends atop said standard, a pair of parallel links located on opposite sides of and pivotally connected to an end of said lever and having lower ends straddling and pivotally connected to said lug, a hitching plate of an area in plan greater than the transverse cross-sectional dimension of said wedge and also said post and adapted to assume, when use, a plane at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the wedge and post, said plate being free of direct connection with said Wedge and having a radial notch therein opening through a marginal edge portion of the plate, said notch defining a pair of spaced coplanar jaws having lengthwise edges in general parallel relationship, the distance between the lengthwise edges of said jaws being at least equal to the distance between the outer edges of said outstanding walls and the outer face of said web and defining a prescribed space which is such as to allow the jaws to straddle the post and wedge in a manner to facilitate the steps of engaging the jaws with the post and also the aforementioned inclined lengthwise edge of the wedge, and an intermediate portion of the edge of one of said jaws being provided with a wedge clearance and seating notch opening into said first named notch.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 and wherein the outer longitudinal edges of the walls of said channelshaped post are provided with right angularly disposed outstanding coplanar flanges, said standard being provided at its top with a pair of upstanding lugs and the aforementioned intermediate portion of said lever being pivotally mounted between said lugs, the inward end of the edge of said one jaw being notched and providing a keeper seat for reception and retention of a cooperating one of the aforementioned coplanar flanges, and a flexible element having one end anchored on an upper portion of said standard and the other end portion connected with a marginal edge portion of said plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 278,155 Littlefield May 22, 1883 780,038 Huntington Jan. 17, 1905 1,007,248 Smith Oct. 31, 1911 1,020,728 Talbot Mar. 19, 1912 1,242,063 Southland Oct. 2, 1917 1,442,862 Curtis Jan. 23, 1923 FOREIGN PATENTS 136,784 Australia Mar. 23, 1950 

1. FOR USE IN DISLODGING, LOOSENING AND PULLING A FENCE POST WHICH IS CHANNEL-SHAPED IN CROSS-SECTION AND EMBODIES A WEB PROVIDED WITH OPPOSED OUTSTANDING WALLS, A PORTABLE POST PULLING DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A VERTICALLY ELONGATED WEDGE RECTANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION AND HAVING A LINEARLY STRAIGHT LENGTHWISE EDGE ADAPTED TO RESIDE IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGING CONTACT WITH AN INTERIOR SURFACE OF THE WEB OF THE CHANNEL OF SAID POST, ALSO HAVING AN UNINTERRUPTED INCLINED LENGTHWISE EDGE AND ALSO PROVIDED AT AN UPPER END ABOVE SAID INCLINED EDGE WITH A LATERALLY DIRECTED OUTSTANDING LINK ANCHORING LUG, A PORTABLE STAND EMBODYING A VERTICAL STANDARD, A LEVER PIVOTED INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS ATOP SAID STANDARD, A PAIR OF PARALLEL LINKS LOCATED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO AN END OF SAID LEVER AND HAVING LOWER ENDS STRADDLING AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID LUG, A HITCHING PLATE OF AN AREA IN PLAN GREATER THAN THE TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSION OF SAID WEDGE AND ALSO SAID POST AND ADAPTED TO ASSUME, WHEN IN USE, A PLANE AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXES OF THE WEDGE AND POST, SAID PLATE BEING FREE OF DIRECT CONNECTION WITH SAID WEDGE AND HAVING A RADIAL NOTCH THEREIN OPENING THROUGH A MARGINAL EDGE PORTION OF THE PLATE, SAID NOTCH DEFINING A PAIR OF SPACED COPLANAR JAWS HAVING LENGTHWISE EDGES IN GENERAL PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LENGTHWISE EDGES OF SAID JAWS BEING AT LEAST EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE OUTER EDGES OF SAID OUTSTANDING WALLS AND THE OUTER FACE OF SAID WEB AND DEFINING A PRESCRIBED SPACE WHICH IS SUCH AS TO ALLOW THE JAWS TO STRADDLE THE POST AND WEDGE IN A MANNER TO FACILITATE THE STEPS OF ENGAGING THE JAWS WITH THE POST AND ALSO THE AFOREMENTIONED INCLINED LENGHTWISE EDGE OF THE WEDGE, AND AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE EDGE OF ONE OF SAID JAWS BEING PROVIDED WITH A WEDGE CLEARANCE AND SEATING NOTCH OPENING INTO SAID FIRST NAMED NOTCH. 